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Lionel Messi was 'decisive' against Man City, says Luis Enrique

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi celebrates
Image: Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick in Barcelona's 4-0 win over Man City

Luis Enrique thought Lionel Messi was the difference as Barcelona thrashed Manchester City 4-0 at the Nou Camp in the Champions League.

Messi scored his 37th club hat-trick against the 10 men of City on Pep Guardiola's return to Barcelona.

The Argentina captain punished Fernandinho's slip in the 17th minute to give Barca the lead before striking twice in eight minutes to set the Catalan giants on course to victory.

Pep Guardiola reacts after Claudio Bravo's red card
Image: Pep Guardiola reacts after Claudio Bravo's red card

"He was decisive," Luis Enrique said after the game. "He was involved in all the game's key moments."

"Messi finishes as if he were playing on the school playground. It doesn't matter if he's coming off an injury. It's just the way he processes the game."

A number of individual errors eventually cost Guardiola's side and Luis Enrique thought the game was decided by the mistakes.

Referee shows a red card to Manchester City's Chilean goalkeeper Claudio Bravo
Image: Referee shows a red card to Bravo

"There were some big errors made in the game and that's huge in matches featuring two very good teams," Luis Enrique said. "The little details decide the game."

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Despite the ease with which his side claimed victory in the end, Luis Enrique praised Man City, insisting Claudio Bravo's sending off changed the game.

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"City is a team that's constantly changing things up during the game,"Luis Enrique added. "It's tough to play against them. City were good until the end of the game; the expulsion changes the match."

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